BROC CELLARS

2021 LOVE WHITE

Steve and Diane Love started Love Ranch back in 1994 but it’s now owned by Oscar Ramos. Their sustainably farmed Rhone grape varieties in the Madera Foothills form the perfect base for Love White. The vineyard sits at 1350 feet above sea-level on granitic schist. The grapes are harvested at the end of August to maintain acidity. All five grape varieties are fermented separately and undergo élevage in neutral barrel without SO2. This vintage is 31% Marsanne, 24% Albariño, 18% Grenache Blanc, 15% Rousanne, 12% Picpoul (from graftings from Rorick Heritage Vineyard). 11% ABV

2021 LOVE ROSÉ

The grapes for this cuvée come from three different vineyards: Rosewood (Mendocino), Wirth Ranch (Solano), and Arrowhead Mountain (Sonoma). This vintage is a blend of Valdiguié (97%), Zinfandel (2%) and Trousseau (1%). The grapes are foot stomped and left on skins for 12 hours before being pressed into stainless steel for fermentation. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered shortly after the new year. 11.5% ABV

2021 LOVE RED CAN

The lion’s share of this blend is Carignan (51%) from Wirth Vineyard in Green Valley. It features 70-year-old dry-farmed vines on iron-rich soils; The remainder is a blend of Syrah (25%), Valdiguié (12%), Mourvedre (5%), Zinfandel (3%), Petite Sirah (2%), and Grenache (2%) from Mendocino Lake (Mendocino) and Rosewood Vineyard (Sonoma). The Carignan and Grenache were fermented carbonically while everything else was destemmed. The wine was aged in a combination of neutral barrel and concrete tank. 12.5% ABV

2021 LOVE ROSÉ CAN

The grapes for this cuvée come from three different vineyards: Rosewood (Mendocino), Wirth Ranch (Solano), and Arrowhead Mountain (Sonoma). This vintage is a blend of Valdiguié (97%), Zinfandel (2%) and Trousseau (1%). The grapes are foot stomped and left on skins for 12 hours before being pressed into stainless steel for fermentation. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered shortly after the new year. 11.5% ABV

2021 LOVE WHITE CAN

Steve and Diane Love started Love Ranch back in 1994 but it’s now owned by Oscar Ramos. Their sustainably farmed Rhone grape varieties in the Madera Foothills form the perfect base for Love White. The vineyard sits at 1350 feet above sea-level on granitic schist. The grapes are harvested at the end of August to maintain acidity. All five grape varieties are fermented separately and undergo élevage in neutral barrel without SO2. This vintage is 31% Marsanne, 24% Albariño, 18% Grenache Blanc, 15% Rousanne, 12% Picpoul (from graftings from Rorick Heritage Vineyard). 11% ABV

2021 LOVE SPARKLING CHENIN

Shell Creek Vineyard is planted in eastern Paso Robles. It has been farmed by the Sinton Family since the 1800s. The 45-year-old Chenin Blanc vines are farmed organically on sandy soils with a calcareous bedrock. This year, 13% Muscat from North Canyon Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley was blended in for an aromatic lift. The grapes are pressed whole-cluster into stainless steel where the juice ferments until fully dry. Chardonnay juice is then added for a second fermentation in bottle. In spring, the wine is hand disgorged and topped up with the same wine. 11% ABV

2021 TROUSSEAU

In 2016, Chris grafted over some Syrah vines in Wirth Ranch Vineyard, Solano County, to Trousseau. He used massale selection from Jackson Vineyard planted in 1888. The vineyard is planted on steep iron-rich volcanic soils. This year features 15% Zinfandel from the same site. Both varieties were destemmed and co-fermented in stainless steel before being pressed off into concrete for élevage. 12.5% ABV

2021 AMORE BIANCO

This wine comes from the famed Fox Hill Vineyard in Mendocino County. Soils here are mostly sandstone but you’ll find a wide variety of rocks and quartz scattered throughout. This year, we’ve got a combination of Tocai Friulano (60%) and Trebbiano (40%). The former was fermented on skins in sandstone jars for 10 days before being pressed off into a combination of sandstone and neutral barrel. The latter saw three days on skins before being pressed off for élevage in the same vessel. 12% ABV

2021 AMORE BLENDO

This cuvée is a blend of Sangiovese (26%), Montepulciano (24%), Sauvignon Blanc (23%), Dolcetto (22%), and Trebbiano (5%) grown in Mendocino County. Fox Hill Vineyard, planted on rocky sandstone between Hopland and Ukiah, provides the Italian varieties. Mi Hija vineyard in Redwood Valley provides the biodynamically farmed Sauvignon Blanc. Sangiovese, Dolcetto, and Sauvignon Blanc were picked on the same day and co-fermented carbonically in stainless steel. The Montepulciano and Trebbiano were harvested later and were also co-fermented carbonically. After a short élevage in concrete the wine was bottled. 12% ABV

2020 WHITE ZINFANDEL

Grapes for this project come from two sources: Arrowhead Mountain Vineyard (95%) featuring 20-year-old vines planted on volcanic rock in Sonoma, and Ricetti Vineyard (5%) in Mendocino County. The Zinfandel is whole-cluster crushed by foot before a four-hour maceration. It is then pressed into stainless steel for fermentation. The wine is then racked and allowed to age in tank for eight months before bottling. A small amount of light red wine was added for structure. 460 cases were produced. 12% ABV

2020 LOVE RED

The grapes for this cuvée come from 50-70-year-old, head trained, dry farmed vines in Green Valley. A small amount of Syrah was also sourced from neighboring Wirth Ranch. Carignan (77%) and Syrah (8%) we only partially destemmed before fermentation in stainless steel and concrete. The Valdiguié (15%) was fermented carbonically. The wine is aged in neutral barrel for eight months. As with all their wines, a small amount of Sulphur was added four weeks before bottling. 12.5% ABV

2020 amore blendo

This cuvée is a blend of Barbera (52%), Sauvignon Blanc (24%), and Primitivo (24%) grown in Mendocino County. Fox Hill vineyard, planted on rocky sandstone between Hopland and Ukiah, provides the Italian varieties. Mi Hija vineyard in Redwood Valley provides the biodynamically farmed Sauvignon Blanc. All three varieties are picked together in early September. The grapes were co-fermented carbonically as whole clusters. After pressing, the wine ages in a combination of concrete, sandstone, and neutral barrel. 494 cases were produced. 12% ABV

2020 Vine Starr zinfandel

The two vineyards that supply fruit for this cuvée are Arrowhead Mountain (30%) and Buck Hill Vineyard (70%). Soils here are volcanic in origin and Buck Hill even has a small terraced parcel planted on white volcanic ash. The grapes are destemmed and fermented in five-ton stainless steel tanks. After a short time on skins, the wine is pressed off and aged in neutral French puncheons for ten months until bottling. This vintage features a gorgeous new label for their flagship wine. Only 183 cases were made this vintage because of fire damage. 12.5% ABV

2020 LOVE WHITE CANS

Steve and Diane Love started Love Ranch back in 1994 (it’s now owned by Oscar Ramos). Their sustainably farmed Rhone grape varieties in the Madera Foothills form the perfect base for Love White. The vineyard sits at 1350 feet above sea-level on granitic schist. The grapes are harvested at the end of August to maintain acidity. All four grape varieties are fermented separately in a combination of twenty-five hectoliter Hungarian oak, barriques, puncheons, and German halbstück. After a few months, the wine is bottled with minimal Sulphur. This vintage is 46% Marsanne, 38% Grenache Blanc, 8% Rousanne, 8% Picpoul. 11.5% ABV

2020 LOVE WHITE

Steve and Diane Love started Love Ranch back in 1994 (it’s now owned by Oscar Ramos). Their sustainably farmed Rhone grape varieties in the Madera Foothills form the perfect base for Love White. The vineyard sits at 1350 feet above sea-level on granitic schist. The grapes are harvested at the end of August to maintain acidity. All four grape varieties are fermented separately in a combination of twenty-five hectoliter Hungarian oak, barriques, puncheons, and German halbstück. After a few months, the wine is bottled with minimal Sulphur. This vintage is 46% Marsanne, 38% Grenache Blanc, 8% Rousanne, 8% Picpoul. 11.5% ABV

2020 NERO D’AVOLA

This cuvée comes from Fox Hill Vineyard near Ukiah in Mendocino. The vines are over twenty years old now, and are planted on sandstone dotted with alluvial pebbles and quartz. Cover crops are grown between the rows to ensure biodiversity while creating competition for weeds. 80% of the grapes were destemmed and left on skins in amphora until January for an extended maceration. 20% underwent a more traditional winemaking approach and élevage in neutral oak. 253 cases were made this vintage. 13% ABV

2019 LOVE RED

The grapes for this cuvée come from 50-70-year-old, head trained, dry farmed vines in Green Valley. A small amount of Syrah was also sourced from neighboring Wirth Ranch. Carignan (77%) and Syrah (8%) we only partially destemmed before fermentation in stainless steel and concrete. The Valdiguié (15%) was fermented carbonically. The wine is aged in neutral barrel for eight months. As with all their wines, a small amount of Sulphur was added four weeks before bottling. 12.5% ABV

2019 LOVE RED CANS

The grapes for this cuvée come from 50-70-year-old, head trained, dry farmed vines in Green Valley. A small amount of Syrah was also sourced from neighboring Wirth Ranch. Carignan (77%) and Syrah (8%) we only partially destemmed before fermentation in stainless steel and concrete. The Valdiguié (15%) was fermented carbonically. The wine is aged in neutral barrel for eight months. As with all their wines, a small amount of Sulphur was added four weeks before bottling. 12.5% ABV

2020 KOUKOU CABERNET FRANC

The Cabernet Franc for this cuvée comes from Crown Point Vineyard in Happy Canyon, a warm sub-AVA of Santa Barbara. Soils here are serpentine loam / clay loam and thanks to their altitude, the diurnal shifts are hefty. Whole clusters were added directly to a concrete tank. It was foot crushed and then gently pumped over before being pressed back into concrete for élevage. After ten months the wine was bottled. 12% ABV

2020 AMORE ROSSO

This year, Chris flipped the script entirely. Historically, this wine was a monovarietal Sangiovese, but this year it features Dolcetto (58%), Montepulciano (26%), and Sangiovese (16%), all from Fox Hill Vineyard near Ukiah in Mendocino. The grapes undergo a combination of full carbonic maceration and whole-cluster fermentation before being pressed off into stainless steel and neutral oak. 12% ABV

2020 LOVE ROSÉ

The grapes for this cuvée come from three different vineyards: Ricetti, Rosewood, and Wirth Ranch. This vintage is a blend of Valdiguié (85%), Zinfandel (14%) and Trousseau (1%). The grapes are foot stomped and left on skins for 12 hours before being pressed into stainless steel for fermentation. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered shortly after the new year. 11% ABV

2019 GRENACHE GRIS

Gibson Ranch in McDowell Valley, Mendocino, has a small plot of hundred-year-old Grenache Gris vines. They believe some of the vines mutated from Grenache Noir but it’s hard to tell. The soils here are sand and sandy-loam. The grapes were crushed by foot and the skins macerated with the juice for eight hours. It was then pressed off into stainless steel for a day of settling. After a quick racking, the juice went into neutral puncheon for fermentation and malolactic conversion. No Sulphur was used until bottling. 306 cases were produced. 12% ABV

2018 COUNOISE

Eagle Point Ranch planted four acres of Counoise in 2007 using clonal material from Tablas Creek (Which used clonal material from Beaucastel in the Rhone). This organically farmed vineyard rests high (1800 feet) in the Mayacamas in Mendocino. The soils are thin and iron rich. The grapes were de-stemmed and fermented in five-ton, open top troniques. The wine then ages in neutral oak barrels for ten months before bottling.

2019 CHENIN BLANC PET-NAT

Shell Creek Vineyard is planted in eastern Paso Robles. It has been farmed by the Sinton Family since the 1800s. The 45-year-old vines are farmed organically on sandy soils with a calcareous bedrock. The grapes are pressed whole cluster into stainless steel where the juice ferments until there is 15 g/l of residual sugar. It is then chilled and put into bottle to continue fermenting. It spends four months on lees and is then disgorged; sans dosage. 11.5% ABV

2019 WHITE ZINFANDEL

Grapes for this project come from two sources. Firstly, Arrowhead Mountain Vineyard provides organic Zinfandel (75%) from 20-year-old vines planted on volcanic rock in Sonoma. The second component, Trousseau Gris (25%), comes from Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. The Zinfandel this whole-cluster crushed by foot before an eight-hour maceration. It is then pressed into stainless steel for fermentation. The Trousseau Gris was fermented and macerated on skin for six months in sandstone jars before being pressed off. The wines were blended and racked before bottling, unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur. Only 400 cases were produced. 12% ABV

2019 SOGI CABERNET PFEFFER

Cabernet Pfeffer’s origins are poorly understood. It may be Gros Verdot, a long forgotten Bordelais variety, or perhaps a crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon and Trousseau, or something else entirely. There were less than 20 tons of this grape in the entire country in 2019 (compared to nearly 700,000 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon) making it an extreme rarity. The 40 year old dry farmed vines are in the Lime Kiln Valley’s only vineyard: the renowned Enz Vineyard. The grapes underwent carbonic maceration before being pressed off into neutral barrel for a nine month élevage. Only 139 cases were produced. 12.5% ABV

2019 KOUKOU CABERNET FRANC

The Cabernet Franc for this cuvée comes from Crown Point Vineyard in Happy Canyon, a warm sub-AVA of Santa Barbara. Soils here are serpentine loam / clay loam and thanks to their altitude, the diurnal shifts are hefty. Whole clusters were added directly to a concrete tank. It was foot crushed and then gently pumped over before being pressed back into concrete for élevage. After ten months the wine was bottled. 12% ABV

2019 VINE STARR ZINFANDEL

The two vineyards that supply fruit for this cuvée are Arrowhead Mountain and Buck Hill Vineyard. Soils here are volcanic in origin and Buck Hill even has a small terraced parcel planted on white volcanic ash. The grapes are mostly destemmed (70%) and fermented in five-ton stainless steel tanks. After a short time on skins, the wine is pressed off and aged in neutral French puncheons for ten months until bottling. This vintage features a gorgeous new label for their flagship wine. 12.8% ABV

2019 GOT GRAPES VALDIGUIE

Notes from Broc: Got Grapes is a series we started in 2017 for wines we made accidentally from a busy harvest year that (unintentionally) turned out to be something very special. Since the release of Got Grapes Valdiguié for the 2017 vintage, we loved how different it was compared to our Broc Valdiguie coming from Wirth Vineyard. Got Grapes is fresher, lighter – something you can chill and enjoy year round whether it is by a pool during summer or on the Thanksgiving table. This year’s Got Grapes comes from a small portion of Rosewood Vineyard’s pick and only saw concrete. The fruit was left whole cluster in our small concrete cylinder to ferment for 10 days, then pressed back into concrete to age for 10 months. The plan for this wine was to go into our Love Red blend – but it was too good on its own. Chill it down, pop it open and drink up.

2019 VALDIGUIE PETNAT

2018 old vine carignan

Oat Valley Vineyard is in the Alexander Valley. The 130+ year old vines are own-rooted as the soils here are too sandy for phyloxera to take hold. This field blend consists of Carignan (85%), Alicante (10%), Zinfandel (4%), and Palomino (1%). The whole clusters undergo partial carbonic maceration. The pressed wine undergoes a eight-month élevage in concrete before being bottled. 128 cases were produced. 12.5% ABV

2015-18 LOVE RED

The grapes for this cuvée come from 50-70-year-old, head trained, dry farmed vines in Green Valley. A small amount of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon were also sourced for neighboring Wirth Ranch. Carignan (77%) and Syrah (8%) we only partially destemmed before fermentation in stainless steel and concrete. The Valdiguié (15%) was fermented carbonically. The wine is aged in neutral barrel for eight months. As with all their wines, a small amount of Sulphur was added four weeks before bottling.

2016-19 LOVE WHITE

Steve and Diane Love started Love Ranch back in 1994 (it’s now owned by Oscar Ramos). Their sustainably farmed Rhone grape varieties in the Madera Foothills form the perfect base for the Love White. This year they’ve added Grenache Blanc to the mix, which adds freshness and delicacy. The vineyard is at 1350 feet above sea-level on granitic schist. The grapes are harvested at the end of August to maintain acidity. All four grape varieties are co-fermented in a combination of twenty-five hectoliter Hungarian oak, barriques, puncheons, and German halbstück. After eight months, the wine is bottled with minimal Sulphur. This vintage is 43% Marsanne, 28% Roussanne, 17% Grenache Blanc, and 12% Picpoul. 12% ABV

2016-19 LOVE ROSÉ

The grapes for this cuvée come from three different vineyards. Solano Vineyard organically farms Valdiguié vines on sandy loam. Arrowhead Mountain Vineyard provides organic Zinfandel from 20-year-old vines planted on volcanic rock in Sonoma. The final component comes from Wirth Vineyard in Suisun. Here, Trousseau vines are planted on sandy loam. After destemming and delicate pressing, all three grapes ferment together in stainless steel at cool temperatures for a month. It is bottled shortly after new-years. 11% ABV. (150 Cases Produced) 

2018 VALDIGUIE

Valdiguié has a mysterious history. It comes from Southern France where it goes by the name Gros Auxerrois, yet unknowing vignerons ended up with the vines in their vineyards in California. It picked up the moniker Napa Gamay because of its ability to make juicy wines mirroring those of Beaujolais. Up until recently it was one of the most planted grapes in the state, prized for its disease resistance, but the trend for heavy handed reds saw the grubbing up of hundreds of acres. Wirth Vineyard, located in Green Valley, adjacent to Napa, has 70+ year old, dry farmed vines planted on a steep iron-rich site. The grapes were fermented semi-carbonic in concrete tank. Modest foot treading and pump-overs were performed daily until the wine was dry. After a ten-month élevage in neutral oak the wine was bottled. 193 cases produced. 12% ABV

2018 WIRTH ZINFANDEL

Planted in 1948, Wirth vineyard is farmed without any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, nor fertilizers. The steel site is located in the Green Valley where the soils are primarily iron rich and volcanic. The dry farmed vines yield a little over one ton per acre. The grapes are destemmed into open-top stainless-steel vats. After fermentation the wine is pressed off into neutral oak for élevage.  13% ABV

2018 MISSION ROSÉ

Chris has been working with Mission (País, Listan Prieto) from Somers Vineyard for three vintages now. The vines are more than sixty-years-old and grow next to the river in Lodi which floods in wet years helping them dry farm. Soils here are mostly sandy gravel. The grapes undergo a two-day maceration after foot crushing. The juice is then pressed off into stainless steel for fermentation. After a whopping 18-month élevage the wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered, with minimal sulphur. Only 121 cases made. 12% ABV

2016-19 LONE PINE LAGREIN

The Lagrein for this project is grown by Charlie Cosens in El Dorado County, 1700 feet above sea level. The soils here are volcanic, shale and granite. This year they decided destem half the grapes and leave the rest whole-cluster. After foot crushing they direct pressed into stainless steel. After a ten month élevage, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. 191 cases produced. 12.5% ABV

2017-19 AMORE ROSSO

This wine is made from Sangiovese grown on the steep iron rich soils of Lone Oak Vineyard in Mendocino. The vines are now twenty years old and yielding really high-quality fruit. The grapes were destemmed and fermented on skins in ¾ ton bins for two weeks before being pressed off into neutral French oak. This is their third vintage working with Sangiovese. 12.5% ABV

2017-18 AMORE BIANCO

This is Chris’s first experience working with Tocai Friulano, a grape hailing from Northern Italy. Lowell Stone planted this variety at Fox Hill Vineyard in Mendocino twenty years ago on sandy loam soils. The grapes were whole cluster pressed into flex tank where spontaneous fermentation took place. After a short élevage the wine is bottled. 12% ABV (126 Cases Produced)

2015-18 VINE STARR ZINFANDEL

The two vineyards that supply fruit for this cuvée are Arrowhead Mountain and Buck Hill Vineyard. Soils here are volcanic in origin and Buck Hill even has a small terraced parcel planted on white volcanic ash. The grapes are destemmed and fermented in five-ton stainless steel tanks. After a short time on skins, the wine is pressed off and aged in neutral French puncheons for ten months until bottling. 12.5% ABV

2016-18 KOUKOu cabernet franc

The grapes for this cuvée come from Crown Point Vineyard in Happy Canyon, a warmer sub-AVA of Santa Barbara. Soils here are serpentine loam / clay loam and the diurnal shifts are hefty. Whole clusters were added directly to a 5-ton fermentation tank. It was foot crushed and then gently pumped over before being pressed into neutral French oak barrels. After three months the wine was bottled. 12% ABV

2016-18 FREI VINEYARD CHENIN BLANC

Frei Vineyards contains 65-year-old, dry farmed Chenin Blanc vines. The soils here are acidic and composed mostly of Conejo loam. Its climate is almost identical to that of Carneros, but its lower altitude results in more fog. The grapes are whole-cluster pressed into neutral barrel. After malolactic conversion and an extended stay on lees it is bottled.

2015-17 CARIGNAN

Oat Valley Vineyard is located in the Alexander Valley. The 130+ year old vines are own-rooted as the soils here are too sandy for phyloxera to take hold. This field blend consists of Carignan (85%), Alicante (10%), Zinfandel (4%), and Palomino (1%). The whole clusters undergo partial carbonic maceration. The pressed wine undergoes a six month élevage in concrete before being bottled. Production is less than half of last year’s release. 12.5% ABV (405 Cases Produced) 

2014-17 COUNOISE

Eagle point Ranch planted four acres of Counoise in 2007 using clonal material from Tablas Creek (Which used clonal material from Beaucastel in the Rhone). This organically farmed vineyard rests high (1800 feet) in the Mayacamas in Mendocino. The soils are thin and iron rich. The grapes were de-stemmed and fermented in five-ton, open top troniques. The wine then ages in 600-1200L German oak barrels for ten months before bottling. 13.5% ABV

2016 MISSION

The age of the Mission vines in the Somers vineyard is unknown, but we know they certainly haven’t been replanted in at least sixty years. This dry farmed vineyard is adjacent to the river in Lodi and has sandy gravel soils. Whole clusters were added to the tank where partial carbonic maceration took place. After six months élevage, the wine was bottled. This is the first vintage of this cuvée. 13.3% ABV (176 Cases Produced)

2015 VALDIGUIÉ

Valdiguié (sometimes called Gros Auxerrois or Napa Gamay) is a nearly forgotten grape variety. These grapes were mostly sourced from 60+ year old dry farmed vineyards. Chris decided to pay homage to wine grapes namesake and use carbonic maceration to enhance the grapes fruity qualities. This wine is best served with a slight chill. 12% ABV (1100 Cases Produced)

2015 NERO D'AVOLA

The grapes for this project come from fifteen year old vines in Fox Hill Vineyard, located near Ukiah in Mendocino. The bunches are mostly destemmed although one tenth is fermented whole cluster in clay before being blended back into the rest of the cuvée. 13.5% ABV (200 Cases Produced)

2015 CUVÉE 13

15 year old Syrah vines are planted on gravely loam in the Santa Lucia Highlands. They crop their section of the vineyard high to keep it from building up too much sugar, yet they still harvest two weeks earlier than the vineyards other purchasers. The grapes were only partially destemmed and underwent semi-carbonic maceration. Fermentation and élevage were done in large neutral French oak. 13% ABV (80 Cases Produced)